


Familiar Flowers

by SiriuslyEmily



Series: Absent Interludes [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Missing Scene, of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiriuslyEmily/pseuds/SiriuslyEmily
Summary: Even often had to go looking for Ienzo when he was a boy. Ienzo is not sure how to handle looking for Even in turn.
Relationships: Even & Ienzo (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Absent Interludes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069040
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52
Collections: Apprentice Week 2020





	Familiar Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> I somehow managed to write this in a single day, so here's a kick-off to Apprentice Week! This is for day 1's prompt "flowers". Hope y'all like it!

“Ienzo! Where are you?”

Perched on the edge of a decorative stone in a corner of the gardens, his too-big lab coat folded beneath him, Ienzo looked up at the sound of his name. He waited a moment, weighing the merits of answering or staying silent, and then looked back down at the book balanced on his knees and turned the page. Even’s voice was still far off, and the camellia bushes at his back hid him quite well, particularly from any adult who might be intending to have him run through another round of mathematics drills.

It wasn’t that Ienzo disliked his lessons. It was just that Even liked them too much, and seemed determined to fill all of his charge’s free time with lectures and worksheets. They could be rather fun, in a way--though he had never told Even this, for fear of inviting further educational enthusiasm--but it had been days since Ienzo had had more than a few minutes to read, or take a walk in the gardens, so he’d decided to spend the day doing both. 

He heard his name again, closer this time, along with a frustrated sigh. Ienzo smiled a little--he had chosen a good hiding place this time--and breathed in the scent of the surrounding blooms as he continued to read. Even never seemed to like spending time in the gardens; he always complained about the heat or the insects flying or crawling about. As a result, Ienzo spent little time in them too, unless the other apprentices or, on much rarer occasions, Master Ansem was willing to take a walk with him. Even didn’t seem to enjoy flowers much at all, something most of the residents of Radiant Garden loved almost instinctively, or if he did, he never expressed it. 

Ienzo liked them, though. They were pretty, and smelled nice, and watching them sway in the breeze always made him feel calm. Whenever he was upset, if he was feeling lonely or sad, he would steal away to the gardens and wander among the blossoms, watching the bees floating lazily from flower to flower, or reciting their species names to himself. Ienzo had listed all of the flowers present in the gardens for Even once, not even needing to look up a single one, but Even had only arched an eyebrow and asked if _that_ was what he had spent his time memorizing instead of the vocabulary he’d been assigned.

The sound of footsteps on the path made Ienzo look up, listening intently. Even was much closer now, grumbling to himself as he made his way through this section of garden. Through the leaves of the surrounding bushes, Ienzo could see, a few yards away, a pair of black boots come to a halt, the hem of a white lab coat swishing around them. 

“Ienzo?” Even called. He sounded frustrated, but not nearly so much as he could have been. That was a good sign. The boots began to move, and Even passed right by Ienzo’s hiding place, still grumbling. “I swear, that child--it’s almost as if he likes being chased after.” 

Ienzo watched as Even turned a corner, then tilted his head. It was funny--Even was right, in a way. Ienzo wanted more time to himself, certainly, and he was no fan of the scolding he would get when he was finally found, but he also rather liked making Even run around the town searching whenever he went off on his own. If Even was going to scold him regardless of what he did, Ienzo wanted to make sure it was for something worth being scolded for.

And...well, there was something nice about knowing someone was looking for him, even if it was just to berate him for skipping his lessons.

The sun was starting to get rather low in the sky. Ienzo shut his book and stood up, dusting the dirt off his coat. He stood on tip-toe to see over the bushes, looking around, and when he was satisfied that Even was long gone, he squeezed through the branches and walked in the direction of the castle. It was time to find another hiding place, one that was perhaps a little easier for a searching adult to see him in, if they really looked.

But not too easy, though. He still wanted to finish his book before dinner.

***

“And you checked the--”

“We’ve looked all over.” Dilan was frowning on the screen of the gummiphone, the lines on his face deepened by the fading daylight. “There’s no sign of Even anywhere. No one we’ve asked has seen him, either.”

“I see...I haven’t found any evidence of him in the castle at all.” Ienzo was in one of the high towers, looking out over the town from a window. “If you’ve searched everywhere in town, I’m not sure where else we might look.”

“We’re going to check outside the walls, too,” Aeleus said, the screen shifting a little to bring him into frame. “He may have left the city entirely.”

“Though in his condition, he couldn’t have gotten far. He slept even longer than I did.” Dilan exchanged a look with Aeleus, then said, his tone carefully measured, “Ienzo, I believe we may need to consider the possibility that Even doesn’t want to be found.”

“...I’m aware of that.” Ienzo drummed his fingers on the windowsill. “He can’t have left this world on his own, but if no one in town has even caught a glimpse of him, and he’s nowhere in the castle…I suppose it’s possible that he chose to join Xehanort without our knowledge, and was able to leave with outside assistance.” 

“It wouldn’t be particularly out of character,” Dilan said, though even he sounded unhappy at the idea. “He can’t pursue his research here, not as he did in the Organization."

“That’s true.” Ienzo sighed. “I...well, I must say I had hoped he would awaken feeling as we did, and want to help. I’m….rather disappointed.” He fought to keep his voice even, but could not keep it from trembling on the last word. It was difficult at times to manage his emotions, not when they were still so newly recovered.

Dilan and Aeleus exchanged another glance, and Aeleus leaned a little closer to the screen. “Ienzo, we’ll keep searching. He may have just left the city.”

“Yes, of course. And Dilan is right, he couldn’t have gotten far in that state.” Ienzo nodded to the pair of them. “Well, regardless, it’s getting late, and we have work to do. Come back when you can.” 

He ended the call before either could do much more than nod back, not wanting to hear any of their reassurances or see the concern in their eyes. His own concerns were already difficult enough to bear. He wasn’t sure he could take theirs along with it.

He sighed again, passing a hand over his face. Aeleus had woken him up not long after dawn to tell him that Even had disappeared during the night, and they’d spend the entire day searching for their missing...colleague? Former family member? It was difficult to know exactly what he should consider Even, after all the intervening years. 

It was difficult to know how to feel about his disappearance, too. The man hadn’t even bothered to leave a note--the bed he’d been laying in for the last week, unmoving and unresponsive, had been empty, the covers thrown back, but beyond a few missing articles of clothing, the room was exactly as they’d left it the evening before. At first, Ienzo had been afraid Even had wandered off in a daze--his coma had been quite worrisome, lasting longer than any of them had anticipated, though perhaps understandable considering how extensive his injuries had been. Ienzo had done his best to heal the burns, but there was just no telling how much pain Even was in until he awoke. 

And now, it seemed Ienzo might not ever know. He had searched the castle as thoroughly as he could while Aeleus and Dilan searched the town, but he’d found nothing to indicate Even’s presence anywhere. As the hours wore on, Ienzo’s concern had grown. If Even had simply stumbled off somewhere, he wouldn’t have been difficult to locate, but if he’d truly just taken his leave, without even a word to any of them…

It surprised Ienzo, how much that thought hurt him. He laid a hand over his chest, frowning, but part of him still marveled at the feeling. It had been a long time since he’d been allowed to acknowledge emotional pain, though he knew now that he’d felt it during his long years as a Nobody, even if it had been diminished or warped. He’d felt it whenever he thought of Radiant Garden, the home he’d helped to destroy, or of the family he’d lost when they had all given up their hearts. By the end, even their tenuous bonds as fellow Nobodies had diminished to near non-existence. That had hurt too.

But then, perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Even had left without a word. Surely he, too, had thought that there was little keeping any of them together anymore. Vexen had only socialized when it was absolutely necessary, spending much of his time in his labs, and Zexion had found that a relief--Vexen’s scoldings had been far worse than Even’s. But now, as Ienzo stood alone in an empty castle tower, he realized he would have given almost anything to hear that overly stern voice once more.

“Even,” Ienzo murmured to the empty air, “where are you?” 

The sun was dropping low in the sky, its final rays of light illuminating splashes of color in the city below. For a moment, Ienzo wished he could go down and sit amongst the flowers in the twilight, watching the blooms sway in the breeze, until someone came to find him. 

But there was work to be done. If Even had truly left to join Xehanort, then Ienzo needed to finish decrypting the code Master Ansem had left behind as quickly as possible--anything to give Sora and his friends an edge. With one last look out the window, Ienzo pocketed his gummiphone and left the tower. 

***

Ienzo sat on the edge of a planter in one of the newly reconstructed gardens, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his lab coat folded neatly beside him. It was the first day Ienzo had ventured out of the castle for longer than a few minutes since his recompletion, and the first day after Xehanort’s defeat. It was hard to believe that, after so long, they could finally put that conflict behind them.

Well, for the most part, at least. A number of people were still missing, and unlike Sora, Ienzo doubted many people would be searching for Demyx or Braig. He wanted to look for them if possible, and there was still so much to be rebuilt in town, as much as the Restoration Committee had already gotten done in the past year and a half. Ienzo wanted to help with that, too, as much as he could. He’d had a hand in the world’s destruction, after all. It was only right that he assisted in its restoration, too. 

For now, though, he was content to simply sit and enjoy a short break in the gardens. The sun was warm, the wind pleasant, and the flowers smelled just as he remembered--though the layout of the gardens had changed during reconstruction, and some of the usual species were missing. It was close, though, and obvious care had been taken during replanting. 

He breathed in deeply, his eyes sliding shut for a moment, and smiled. It was all right that things were a little different. Ienzo was too. 

“Ienzo?”

He opened his eyes to see Even coming towards him down the garden path. He, too, was a little different than Ienzo remembered: his attitude and temper both seemed rather subdued, though Ienzo wondered if that could be chalked up to tiredness. He even walked a little slower, his movements slightly more careful than they had been in the past, but then, he _had_ recompleted for a second time just a couple days before. 

“Even,” Ienzo said. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’ve rested enough,” Even replied flatly. “I would like to get back to work as soon as possible, thank you.”

“And what kind of work could you be doing out here?”

Even frowned. “None. I merely wondered where you were.” 

“You were looking for me?”

“Indeed. I had a feeling you might be down here. You always wandered off into the gardens as a child.” He fixed Ienzo with a look. “I spent more time than I should have running after you.”

“Well, you always found me in the end.”

Even snorted. “You could have made yourself easier to find, at the very least.” He looked around, surveying the gardens with an almost critical eye. “They’ve done a decent enough job restoring this area.”

“Yes, I’m told Aerith put a lot of effort into replanting everything.”

“Hmm. They’ve forgotten a few of the former varieties.” He came to stand at the bushes next to Ienzo, eyeing the blooms. “Azaleas are pleasant enough, but the camellias grew better in this soil.” 

Ienzo glanced at the bushes, and nodded, a little surprised. “They did,” he conceded, “but Aerith and the others did their best, I’m sure. Very few people would remember where every flower was placed.”

“I suppose. Perhaps you should offer your services when they replant in the Outer Gardens.”

“My services?”

“You once recited to me every species of flower in every garden in the city,” Even said as he examined one of the blossoms, taking it carefully by the stem. “It was quite a feat.” He glanced at Ienzo, and then released the flower, looking away. “Though no one could blame you if your memory has faded somewhat. That was quite long ago, and you were merely a boy.”

Ienzo’s eyes widened. It had never occurred to him that Even would recall that, let alone consider it a _feat._ “I was a boy,” he said quietly, “but I still remember.” 

“Ah--well. Of course. You wandered through these areas often enough. And I suppose I spent enough time looking for you in them...they’re still familiar to me, as well.” Even still was not quite looking at him. He went quiet for a long moment. “Ienzo...I--”

“We looked for you, you know.”

Even fell silent at the interruption, frowning uncertainly. Ienzo only folded his hands in his lap with a sigh. It took Even a moment to regain his composure. 

“Excuse me?”

“When you left, after your recompletion. I searched the castle, and Aeleus and Dilan practically tore the city apart looking for any sign of you.” Ienzo shook his head. “I wish you had made yourself easier to find.”

“I…” Even seemed taken aback, staring down at Ienzo uncertainly. “I never intended to...worry you.” 

“Had you left any sort of sign, we wouldn’t have needed to assume the worst.” 

“I was not given much time,” Even said, faint indignance creeping into his tone. “Isa was quite adamant that we move as quickly as possible, and afterward, returning here would have endangered the three of you.” He folded his arms stiffly, looking away. “Which I did not want to do. I’ve already caused you enough harm, Ienzo.”

Ienzo looked up at Even, who was staring down at the blooms rather than meeting his eyes. He couldn’t recall ever having heard Even admit wrong-doing before, never in his life. “I appreciate your concern,” he said carefully. “But I still wish we had known where you’d gone.”

Even finally looked him in the eye, and after a long moment, he nodded. “I have no intention of leaving this world again,” he said. “But were I to do so, you will know where to look.”

“Thank you.” 

There were a number of things Ienzo still wanted to say, and there was still work to be done, but both could wait for now. He got to his feet, draping his coat over his arm. “If I’m going to offer the Restoration Committee my assistance,” he said, “I should make certain my memory is reliable. I think I’ll take a walk and look around, just to be sure. Would you care to join me, Even?”

“...It _has_ been quite some time since I last walked in the gardens,” Even said hesitantly. “I suppose I could accompany you.” 

Ienzo smiled, and while Even didn’t quite smile back, he did uncross his arms, looking more at ease. He gestured for Ienzo to lead the way, and together they walked off down the path in search of more familiar flowers. 


End file.
